Annemarie
Well, there it is. Summer is officially over. Done. Finito. As always, it went by way too fast, and I feel nowhere near ready to go back to school. So, for this blog post, I’m going to recap some of my favourite memories from this summer- big and small. Since all of my past summers tend to blur together into vague memories, I want to be able to look back at this blog post and remember my favourite parts of this summer, specifically. It was technically my last summer as a high-school student, and that literally terrifies me!!!
But anyways, writing this feels like I’m back in elementary school, where one of the first tasks in September would be to write a journal entry about your summer. Even though I loved writing, I distinctly remember hating this because my summer always seemed lamer than everyone else’s. But here I am a decade later, willingly writing a blog about my summer, that was, at least in my opinion, not lame.
A big part of my summer this year was going to work. As I wrote about in my June blog post, I recently got my first job- at an ice cream shop. I usually worked 4 or 5 days a week so I spent quite a bit of time there (but, as expected, I’m still not sick of ice cream). Over the course of a few months, I went from being a nervous wreck to being fairly comfortable and confident in my ability to do my job well.
It has definitely been an interesting experience- and one I’ll never forget. I’ve learned so much, and having this job has made me much more independent and ready for other opportunities I may encounter in the future. I can make a cookie-dough drizzle with my eyes closed, I am infinitely better at interacting with customers, and I realized I’m pretty good at working in a fast-paced environment. And embarrassingly, I’ve done more dishes and mopped more floors in the past few months than I have in the past 16 years. I’ll definitely use some of these skills more than others, but learning anything at all can only benefit me in the future.
Soon enough, things will be slowing down at the ice cream shop between the school year starting and the colder weather settling in. I’ll probably leave soon to focus on my schoolwork, even though I’m finding it difficult to let go of. Even when I go, the memories I’ve made while working there will always be special to me.
The other main memory of this summer was my family vacation to a small beach town a few hours north. We’ve travelled there nearly every summer, so it has become not only a tradition but a second home for us. We know all of the best spots and things to do, and my dad is even friends with the manager of the hotel we always stay at. It’s small and low-key, but sometimes that’s just what you need to unwind from the intensity of a school year you barely managed to survive.
This year, it was raining nearly every day we were there. We didn’t get that much beach time in, but we kept our spirits up with frequent trips to Tim Hortons, rented DVDs, and microwave popcorn. This town is fairly well known for their sunsets and believe me, they’re usually breathtaking. Unfortunately, the ugly weather dampened the sunsets on all evenings but one, pictured below.
Even though it’s easiest to remember a summer by the places you went or the job you had, cherishing the small moments and simple pleasures is just as important and valuable. Whether it was watching the sunset during my break at work, listening to old people sing karaoke, playing Marco Polo in a hotel pool, or drinking an exquisite coconut frozen hot chocolate- I had my share of small joys this summer.
One of these moments that stands out in my mind happened on August 17th. I was sitting alone in the passenger seat of the car, parked in the crowded train station parking lot. It was quarter to nine in the evening, and the sky only had a few specks of light left. It was raining in that perfect summer storm way, intense but strangely inviting. The lights from the cars and streetlights cast a soft orange glow and were magnified by the raindrops on the windshield. I sat with my bare feet propped up on the dash, the windows open just a crack. I sat there in my plaid shirt and shorts and just took in the beauty that this simple moment brought. Raindrops were creeping in through the windows, the sound of cars buzzed in the distance, and the stormy sky made a beautiful backdrop. In that moment, everything seemed perfect and imperfect all at once.
The last thing I’ll definitely remember about this summer is my trip to Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. I had never been there before, and we chose a good year to visit since it’s the 150th birthday of Canada. My family and I did all of the touristy things you’d expect- the Parliament buildings, the Rideau canal, the street markets. Even though I’m not a history buff, the statues and old buildings scattered across the city were both interesting and photo-worthy. There was a lot of walking, a lot of food, and a lot of French, but it was an enjoyable trip. And fun fact- I walked directly over 2 different waterfalls during this trip, which was exhilarating and epic both times. There are a lot of pictures I could choose to show you from this trip, but I’ve decided on this one. This is me being a T in the Ottawa sign.
So all in all, it’s actually been a pretty great summer for me. As always, there’s a list longer than my arm of things I never got around to, but that’s ok. I unwound from the hectic blur that was June, spent time doing things I enjoy, travelled a bit, experienced some new things, and most importantly, had a blast while doing so.
I realized a few years ago, after countless attempts at trying to have “the best summer ever”, that it’s just as impossible for summer to be perfect as it is for any other season. All you can do is try to make the most of the time you have, and cherish the best parts as you experience them. Your freedom might be over come September, but you can still carry the memories of an awesome summer with you for the rest of the year.
I’ll be back with another blog at the end of September if I survive my first month as a high school senior. Pray for me!
-Annemarie (#27)
What have been your favourite memories from summer 2017? Share with us on Twitter @Fuzzable, or with me @rietherie.
